It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong.  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The saying, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, where will you find the time to do it over?” always pops into my mind whenever I am tempted to cut corners.  Especially when we are in a rush or facing a deadline, taking a shortcut becomes more appealing. 

Trying to save time by cutting corners, and therefore not doing things right, invariably comes back to haunt you.  Not only will you have to make time to fix any mistakes, you will also have to deal with any negative impacts that result.

Since it takes a lot less time to do things right than to make corrections later, why do people have a tendency to consciously put in less effort than is warranted?  There are a number of factors affecting this phenomenon.  Laziness, procrastination, over commitment, burnout, underestimation, and lack of awareness are all influences.

Not doing things right because of laziness is self-defeating because in the long run you are expending much more time and effort.  Don’t become endlessly caught in this syndrome.  Learn from your past experiences.  Break the cycle.  Put in the extra effort required to do things right the first time and you will have more free time. 

Procrastination causes you to wait until just before a deadline before taking action.  Since there is then a tremendous sense of urgency, you attempt to save time by taking shortcuts.  You wind up making excuses and having to do things over.  Breaking the procrastination habit requires you to act when there is lots of time.  You then have the peace of mind, and time, to do things right.

By over committing, you take on more than you have time for.  You attempt to handle all of your tasks by cutting back on the effort you devote to some or all of them.  As a result, neglected tasks aren’t done right.  Rather than impressing others with how much you can handle, your reputation suffers as you appear incompetent.  Only agree to the number of tasks you are confident you can do right.

The quality of your work declines when you are burned out.  Fatigue, being overworked, stress, distractions, lack of breaks, poor diet, and lack of exercise all contribute to burnout.  Burnout reduces your focus, attention, and perception.  It also clouds your judgment so that you may think you are doing things right when the opposite is true.

Burnout can creep in gradually so you may not be fully aware of it.  To avoid burnout, stay aware of how you feel and monitor the quality of your work.  Burnout won’t rectify itself.  You must take corrective action.

If you underestimate the time or expertise needed to complete a task, and continue without making any adjustments, you won’t be able to do things right.  If you don’t allow more time, you will be rushed and the quality will suffer.  If you don’t know what you are doing, seek assistance.  Otherwise your results will be flawed.

You have a lack of awareness when you don’t fully understand what needs to be done.  This is typically a result of miscommunication.  Making assumptions puts you at risk.  Ask questions to confirm your understanding.  Proceeding based on an incorrect premise guarantees problems.  It’s impossible to do things right unless you have a complete awareness of what needs to be done.

Doing things right is worth the extra time and effort.  Since you are not continually doing things over, you will have more time for additional accomplishments.

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2010 Bryan Golden

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